Athletics at Yankees
The New York Yankees entered the weekend with the best record in the American League and a commanding lead in the East, but they have yet to solve the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees are 0-4 against Oakland this season - all in the past 11 days - and will try to turn the tables on the Athletics on Saturday afternoon in the second of a three-game set.
Rookie Seth Brown was promoted from the minors on Monday and has provided quite a jolt to Oakland's lineup, going 10-for-22 with seven RBIs in five games after posting three hits and driving in three runs in Friday night's 8-2 romp. Jurickson Profar has homered and collected three RBIs in each of his last two games to help the Athletics close within a half-game of Cleveland for the top wild card. New York has already set a major league record for homers in a calendar month with 70 in August but managed only six singles Friday in having its four-game winning streak snapped. Slugger Aaron Judge, who swatted five homers in the previous six games, is 15-for-34 while hitting safely in eight straight contests.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS California (Oakland), YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Homer Bailey (12-8, 5.04 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Domingo German (17-3, 4.03)
Although he has two clunkers since joining Oakland, Bailey improved to 5-2 with the team after winning his third straight start Monday, allowing three runs and eight hits over six innings at Kansas City. He beat the Yankees in his previous turn by notching a season high-tying eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Cameron Maybin is 6-for-14 with a home run off Bailey, who won at Yankee Stadium while with Kansas City on April 18 with six innings of one-run ball.
German is 7-1 in nine starts since the All-Star break, the lone loss coming at Oakland on Aug. 20 when he was knocked around for six runs (five earned) and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old Dominican, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers with six innings of one-run ball on Sunday, has thrived despite yielding 15 home runs over his last eight outings. Mark Canha is 4-for-5 with a homer and Marcus Semien is 4-for-6 off German, who is 8-1 with a 2.24 ERA at Yankee Stadium.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees LHP CC Sabathia left Friday's game due to right knee discomfort.
2. Brown has hits in seven consecutive at-bats over the past two games.
3. The Yankees placed 3B Gio Urshela (groin) on the 10-day injured list, setting a league record with their 29th player on IL this season.